Marcus T. Ellery
Head Chef, Farm to Table Restaurant
Asheville, NC · (828) 555 0142 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/marcustellery
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Eight years in restaurant kitchens, three as head chef of a farm to table dining room
SETTINGS
64 seat restaurant serving about 1,100 covers a week with a seasonal menu
SPECIALTIES
Menu development, whole animal butchery, fermentation, food cost control
SYSTEMS
Toast point of sale, MarketMan inventory, 7shifts scheduling, Resy reservations
CREDENTIALS
Certified Chef de Cuisine, ServSafe Food Protection Manager
EDUCATION
Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts, Blue Ridge Technical College
Executive Summary
Head chef of a 64 seat farm to table restaurant serving about 190 covers on a weekend night, with eight years in kitchens and three running this one. Writes a menu that changes every five weeks around what eleven local farms are pulling that week, and holds food cost at 29 percent while doing it. Runs a brigade of nine and has kept the same sous chef for three years.
Signature Achievements
- Held food cost at 29 percent for three straight years against a 32 percent budget while sourcing 70 percent of produce from farms within 60 miles.
- Raised average check from 48 dollars to 61 dollars by rebuilding the menu around shared plates and a five course tasting option.
- Cut kitchen labor cost from 34 percent to 30 percent of sales by cross training cooks across three stations.
- Passed six consecutive county health inspections with a score of 98 or higher.
- Reduced food waste by about 1,200 pounds a year through whole animal butchery and a fermentation and pickling program.
- Earned the Certified Chef de Cuisine credential from the American Culinary Federation in 2023.
Professional Experience
Head Chef
Hollow Creek Table, Asheville, NC May 2023 to present
64 seat farm to table restaurant serving about 1,100 covers a week; brigade of nine cooks and two dishwashers
- Write a new menu every five weeks from the harvest lists eleven farms send each Monday and cost every dish before it prints.
- Order produce, proteins and dry goods for about 38,000 dollars a month in purchases and reconcile invoices in MarketMan.
- Break down two whole hogs and a side of beef each week and plan the menu so every cut sells.
- Run the pass on Thursday through Sunday service and expedite about 190 covers a night.
- Hire, schedule and train the kitchen team and hold a weekly tasting with front of house staff.
Sous Chef
Swannanoa River Bistro, Black Mountain, NC August 2020 to May 2023
80 seat bistro with a wood fired oven serving about 900 covers a week
- Ran the line on the chef's nights off and expedited weekend brunch for about 250 covers.
- Managed prep lists, walk in cooler organization and daily temperature logs for a team of seven.
- Developed the wood fired flatbread program that became a third of dinner sales.
Line Cook
Pisgah Forest Lodge, Brevard, NC June 2018 to August 2020
Mountain lodge restaurant with 120 seats and a banquet room
- Worked grill, saute and garde manger stations on a rotating schedule.
- Prepared banquet plates for weddings and retreats of up to 150 guests.
- Completed the lodge's butchery training and took over trout and poultry breakdown.
Certifications and Training
Certified Chef de Cuisine, American Culinary Federation, earned 2023
ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification, National Restaurant Association, current through 2028
ServSafe Allergens certificate, completed 2024
Education
Associate in Applied Science in Culinary Arts, Blue Ridge Technical College, Asheville, 2018
Core Skills
Seasonal menu development · Food cost control · Whole animal butchery · Fermentation and pickling · Farm sourcing relationships · Expediting the pass · Kitchen scheduling · Recipe costing · Health inspection readiness · Cook training